A Learning Experience
by Fullmetal Archer
Summary: Byakuya Kuchiki hates sweet foods. Oneshot ficlet.


**Title:** A Learning Experience  
**Fandom:** Bleach  
**Pairing:** Kuchiki Byakuya/Abarai Renji  
**Prompt:** "ice-cream" from Chibi-san. The dirty thoughts that popped up when she told me that! has been around LJ and too long  
**Rating:** G for waff :D  
**Word Count: **639 - Lookies, the numbers of my favourite lieutenants!  
**Notes/Warnings/Disclaimer:** None, really. Shouldn't even be counted as yaoi, actually. Just hints at future happenings. Also: first time at writing Bleach fiction. Whee. And, of course, I don't own Bleach. Bleach and its characters (c) Kubo Tite.  
**Summary:** Byakuya hates sweet foods.

Byakuya despised sweet foods. Although, admittedly, he kept a small stash of it, hidden even from the servants of the Kuchiki mansion, to keep a certain pink whirlwind of the Eleventh Division at bay whenever she visited. He shuddered to think what would happen if the hyperactive lieutenant didn't get her share of confetti candy from him.

As it were, he was still more than a little surprised (and annoyed) to find himself sitting on a park bench in the human world with his lieutenant, a frozen dessert that Renji seemed quite fond of thawing and dripping down his arm, leaving a rather distasteful trail of sticky sugar.

"Oi, taichou, ya know it's melting, right?" the redhead asked cheerfully, seemingly ignorant of his captain's discomfort as he lapped away happily at the chocolate dripping from his own version of whatever he had given Byakuya.

"I am aware, Renji," the noble replied, desperately trying not to wince as more of the sticky substance trailed from the cone it came in and down the back of his wrist. He idly wondered if the stuff stained.

"Why aren't ya eating it, then?" Renji persisted, momentarily losing interest in his own treat and staring at his captain, brows furrowed. "Don't you like vanilla? I figured it'd be more your taste than passionfruit or chocolate or somethin'."

"It's not that I don't like vanilla, Renji, it's just that-" He didn't like vanilla. Or much of anything with sugar in it, actually. And Hell's bells, the lieutenant was using the puppy-dog eyes on him. Why was it that Renji's puppy-dog eyes were one hundred and ten percent more effective than Rukia's?!

He caught himself a millisecond before he began mentally carping over that little fact and instead focussed his attention on continuing his answer without sounding like he'd just engaged in a battle for self control. "-I am not quite sure how on goes about... eating these-" Hold back delicate shudder. "-things."

Renji looked amused. "It's easy, taichou. You just lick 'em, ta keep the ice cream from drippin' everywhere like yours has."

"I see." The captain regarded his newly dubbed 'ice cream' with a frown. Should he...?

No. Definitely not. Maybe it was the fact that he would be eating in public - eating something with his _hands_ - that made him want to close up like a paranoid hermit crab.

Or maybe, because it was mostly inevitable he wouldn't like the 'ice-cream', he just didn't want to hurt Renji's feelings.

Wait just a moment, Byakuya, he reprimanded himself, screeching to a halt, making a swift u-turn and re-examining that last thought. Since when did it _really_ matter to him whether the redheaded lieutenant was pleased or not?

And if he refused to even taste the damned thing, wouldn't he be bruising Renji's ego anyway?

Enough of this, the logical part of his mind decided reasoned. Taste it, smile and nod and all will be well. You're only going to give yourself a migraine if you keep along this train of thought, anyway.

Fair enough, the noble decided and brought the still melting dessert closer, giving the dreaded thing a tentative lick, trying not to cringe as the overwhelmingly sweet taste of vanilla commandeered his taste buds.

Byakuya blinked. It didn't taste all that bad, really. Certainly maybe a little strong, but to have some once in a while wouldn't be so horrible. Quite nice, actually.

"You like it?" He'd all but forgotten Renji sitting there next to him, absentmindedly eating his own cone as he watched his captain, chocolate ice cream mostly gone. He nodded shortly, delving back into the mostly melted treat with new vigour.

The captain was so occupied by the dessert he didn't really notice the winning, chocolate-coated grin Renji flashed his way as he responded with a warm, "Good."

* * *

Reviews are much appreciated. I have, as mentioned before, never written Bleach fanfiction before, and would like to know if I shouldn't try it again. 


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